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Lee Kelso
| continuity = Star Trek | image = | type = | race = | gender = | base of operations = [[USS Enterprise NCC-1701|USS Enterprise NCC-1701]] | known relatives = | status = | born = | died = 2265 | 1st appearance = "Where No Man Has Gone Before" | actor = Paul Carr }} ' ' was a minor character featured in the ''Star Trek franchise. Played by actor Paul Carr, he appeared in the second pilot episode of the original Star Trek television series, "Where No Man Has Gone Before". Biography Lee Kelso was a member of the Federation Starfleet holding the rank of Lieutenant. He briefly served as ship's navigator aboard the [[USS Enterprise NCC-1701|USS Enterprise]] in 2265 under the command of Captain James T. Kirk. In addition to his bridge duties, Kelso was also responsible for several engineering issues as it related to the Enterprise 's propulsion systems. The crew of the Enterprise recovered a disaster recorder left behind by the [[SS Valiant|SS Valiant]], a ship that disappeared near the Galactic Barrier more than two-hundred years ago. Exploring the region, they came upon a giant magnetic anomaly that swept across the ship, wreaking havoc with the onboard electrical systems. Escaping the anomaly severely taxed the Enterprise 's engines and had an unforeseen affect on First Officer Lieutenant Commander Gary Mitchell. The magnetic radiation stimulated Mitchell's latent extrasensory perception abilities to an overwhelming scale, allowing him to move solid matter with his mind, communicate telepathically and absorb all data from the ship's computer library. When Kelso came to visit him in Sick Bay, Mitchell warned him that the ship's starboard impulse pack was burned out. As there was seemingly no way Mitchell could have known this, Kelso initially assumed that Mitchell was joking. Mitchell insisted, however, prompting Kelso to double-check the impulse pack, confirming that Mitchell's report was accurate. Lee later reported this curious incident to Captain Kirk. As Gary's power continued to grow, he began regarding himself as a god and that all others were but annoying insects compared to him. It soon became clear that Gary Mitchell was no longer human and represented a clear and present danger to the safety and survival of the remaining crew members. Kirk ordered the Enterprise to go to a lithium cracking station on Delta-Vega so they could recharge the ship's impulse engines. Kelso and several other technicians were placed in charge bypassing power lines through the fuel bins. Mitchell was imprisoned behind a force field wall on Delta-Vega and Kirk gave Kelso instructions to detonate the facility should Gary escape. Mitchell perceived this plan through ESP and, not willing to let any officer take action against him, telekinetically strangled Kelso with a power cable. Notes & Trivia * The character of was created by James Goldstone and Samuel A. Peeples. * Lee Kelso is a notable figure for he is the first character in the Star Trek mythos to be killed on-screen. He is the first Starfleet officer to be killed off in the series and the progenitor of what will become colloquially referred to as "Redshirt Syndrome". Redshirt is a fan-derived term which refers to minor characters whose sole function in the episode is to be killed off, thus driving the plot of the episode. The name not withstanding, Kelso did not actually wear a red tunic. See also External Links * Lee Kelso at Memory Beta * Lee Kelso at Memory Alpha * Lee Kelso at the Star Trek Database References ---- Category:2265/Character deaths Category:Secondary characters Category:Starfleet Lieutenants Category:Starfleet personnel Category:USS Enterprise NCC-1701 crew members